Workout of the Day: 4 x 5,000m + 1 x 10,000m
4 x 5,000m + 1 x 10,000m
Intensity — 5,000m at 15K pace, 10,000m at half-marathon pace
Recovery — 3’ jog after each rep
Exertion — 8/10
Context & Details
In my opinion, most marathon runners make the mistake of running too many workouts at marathon pace — and pay the price by bonking on race day.
Marathon pace is a default pace in my book, not a target pace. If you’re running for 2+ hours, you want your training to raise your average speed. Meaning, a lot of quality work for marathoners should be focused on half marathon speeds and faster.
Too many coaches and runners think doing 18 - 20 mile steady runs at marathon pace will elicit a useful training stimulus. It is a modest one at best. Remember, the body over compensates when the stimulus is demanding enough. With this in mind, it makes sense to spend a lot of time training at faster half marathon speeds or better.
However, we cannot escape the need to accustom the body to higher volumes of running - the endurance component is significant in preparations for the marathon. That’s why 18 miles of work is called for in this workout, albeit at 15K to half marathon speeds.
Upgrades of lactate-threshold velocity, resistance to fatigue, and running economy are all realized with this type of session.
This session is best performed 2 - 3 times in the heart of a marathon build-up. Schedule about 14-21 days between efforts.